Vishal Sikka: A scholar who wants to learn at every stage

“The first thing I see ahead is to learn -- about the company, about every aspects of the business. I’m also looking forward to taking some classes at the incomparable Infosys University in Mysore,” said the former SAP executive board member, who has been widely credited for developing SAP HANA.

A PhD in artificial intelligence from Stanford University, Sikka was born in Madhya Pradesh to Punjabi parents and spent his formative years in Gujarat, where his father was working with Indian Railways as an engineer.

His mother was a teacher at Rajkot. “My wife calls me a fake Punjabi,” he joked, while talking about his connection with Gujarat.

Vishal Sikka: A scholar who wants to learn at every stage

After finishing his degree in computer engineering from MS University in Baroda, Sikka went to the US, where he first did his BS in computer science from Syracuse University.

“I am the son of a teacher and in our family, the highest honour is reserved for scholars.

"If there is only one chair, there are three people, including a billionaire, a very powerful officer and a scholar, that chair is first given to the scholar,” said Infosys Executive Chairman N R Narayana Murthy, praising the credentials of the CEO-designate who has still kept the ambition of teaching at his alma-mater as a visiting faculty.

Vishal Sikka: A scholar who wants to learn at every stage

When Infosys announced its search for the new CEO in April this year, Sikka’s name was nowhere in the list of probables that was speculated widely.

Most of the industry experts were of the opinion that the company would prefer to have an insider for the top job over an outsider who may take time to gel with its culture.

Picking an outsider was the right thing to do as Infosys needed a fresh leader, said Peter Bendor-Samuel, founder and CEO of Everest Group.

He added that Sikka's leadership style may be different from leaders that Infosys has seen in the past and he may also have little experience of running a services company, but it is hardly a disadvantage as “it all depends on his lieutenants”.

Vishal Sikka: A scholar who wants to learn at every stage

“What matters is a CEO's vision and the strong lieutenants that he brings to take the agenda ahead. Sikka can get the right people to drive the sales side of things, in case he lacks that expertise,” added Bendor-Samuel.

As Sikka starts his new innings, one of the biggest challenges before him will be that he needs to spend a significant amount of time in Bengaluru, where Infosys is headquartered.